Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the frontrunner to take charge of Manchester United, and the Argentine manager steps into one of the most challenging rebuilding projects in English football. The club's recent struggles have left a long list of issues demanding urgent attention.

A squad in need of surgery

The United squad requires significant restructuring. Years of inconsistent transfer business have produced a bloated, unbalanced group of players — costly in both wages and squad harmony — and Pochettino will need to clear deadwood before he can build a coherent unit that reflects his preferred style of play.

Defensive solidity has been a persistent weakness. United have shipped too many soft goals, and the backline lacks the organisational discipline that any Pochettino side demands. Identifying the right profiles to shore up the defence will be among his earliest priorities.

A clear identity

Beyond personnel, Manchester United have lacked a coherent tactical identity for several seasons. Pochettino built his reputation at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain on high-energy, pressing football, and restoring a sense of ambition and structure to Old Trafford will be central to his mandate.

The midfield has long been a problem area. United have struggled to field a balanced engine room capable of controlling matches, and Pochettino will need to decide quickly which players fit his system and which do not.

Off the pitch

The challenges extend beyond the touchline. Manchester United's ownership situation under INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has brought significant off-field change, and the new manager will need to operate within a tighter financial framework than United managers of previous eras were accustomed to.

Transfer business will be scrutinised heavily. Every signing under Pochettino will need to demonstrate clear value — in terms of ability, age profile, and sell-on potential — given the financial discipline the club has committed to under its new structure.

Pochettino inherits a club that remains one of the most recognisable in world football, but one that has fallen well short of its own standards in recent years. The scale of the task is enormous — yet so is the opportunity to restore United to relevance at the top of the game.